STEVEN GERRARD is on a mission to wreck Everton's European hopes as Liverpool FC eye Merseyside derby glory at Anfield on Sunday.

The Reds skipper is determined to ensure Brendan Rodgers' side maintain momentum following last weekend's 6-0 thrashing of Newcastle.

Everton, who are five points clear of Liverpool and only three adrift of fifth placed Tottenham, are still in the race for Europe, but Gerrard has his sights set on catching the Blues over the final three matches.

He said: “In terms of the league table it means more to Everton as they still have the possibility of sneaking into Europe. But even if Liverpool were only playing Everton in a friendly, the will to win would still be there.

“That’s why the derby is so special. It isn’t about the points or about what you could achieve. It’s not about where you are in the table. It’s about having those bragging rights in the city.

“Everton have had a fantastic season, they’ve played really well and been consistent. But we are desperate to win the game. We want to finish as high up the table as we can.

“And of course, finishing above Everton is a target. Before last weekend we said we were aiming to win our final four games, and if we win on Sunday we’ll be only two points behind them.”

The fact that it's been Everton rather than Liverpool challenging Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham for the final two Champions League spots is a source of frustration for Gerrard.

However, the midfielder takes heart from a run of just two league defeats in the past 13 games and an impressive tally of 67 league goals so far this term – 20 more than in the whole of last season.

“Yes, Everton have been consistent, but they are still only sixth,” Gerrard told the Liverpool Post.

“They have had a good season, but maybe their targets were slightly different to others around them in the table. For real consistency, the example has to be Manchester United. Not Everton.

“Liverpool, though, is my main concern. Our target at the start of the season was the top four. So it’s clear our consistency hasn’t been good enough.

“I’m not really a stats man, I prefer to look at the bigger picture. But if you look at our amount of goals and clean sheets, it’s clear we are moving in the right direction.

“It’s not all gloom and doom. We’ve played some fantastic stuff this season, and besides a handful of games we’ve always been in with a shout.”

Gerrard has been buoyed by the impact of January signings Daniel Sturridge and Philippe Coutinho, who starred at St James' Park last weekend.

In the absence of Luis Suarez, the Reds will look to the derby debutants to continue that kind of form against the Blues.

“Daniel can be what he wants to be,” Gerrard added.

“It’s all about what Daniel wants. Everyone knows he is capable of world-class performances if he finds the consistency.

“It’s all about how much he wants it. The evidence is there that he has the talent. People know what he is capable of. He just needs to show he can produce that game after game.

“Coutinho is another young kid with a really bright future. He has all the tools, he has great skills, a great touch and can deliver a pass.

“Every footballer has an eye for a pass but not many can deliver assists on a consistent basis. I’m really excited that we managed to bring him in.

“I don’t really like jumping ahead, but for me there’s a lot of optimism. When you make signings, you need to contribute. If they are attacking players, you need them to score and set up goals and be better than we already have.

“Sturridge and Coutinho are both signings for the starting XI, and they can both be even better next season. I’m convinced they will be two big players for us.

“And if you add another striker to that and you have Luis (Suarez) coming back, then that’s the firepower we need to be challenging nearer to the top four.

“In fact, if we had got in Sturridge and Coutinho at the start of the season then I think we’d have been right up there among the top four.”

Sunday will be Gerrard's 29th showdown with Everton and it will have to go some way to match the corresponding fixture last season.